Pricing
The MVP stays free now. The next phase introduces the paid tiers already defined in the TripScale demo.
The product is still in the phase where the first estimate experience has to earn trust. But the paid structure is already much clearer now: a free entry tier, a stronger planner tier, and a deeper concierge tier that takes the trip much further.
The immediate goal is trust in the estimate, not friction at the top of the funnel.
Free while the estimator itself is being shaped
Right now the important questions are about usefulness: does the estimate feel credible, does the first answer land fast enough, and does the product help someone decide whether a trip idea is realistic before they start shopping.
The free layer should stay lightweight and easy to try
TripScale is strongest when someone can paste an idea, get an answer quickly, and decide if the trip is worth exploring. That top-of-funnel moment should not be buried behind pricing too early.
Paid tiers should unlock deeper workflows, not basic curiosity
The paid layer begins where the estimate stops being enough on its own: when a user wants a richer itinerary, a booking path, and more reconstruction from the original travel post.
The product should never hide behind opaque pricing logic
Whatever the paid plans become, the core TripScale promise stays the same: help people understand the trip they are looking at without burying the logic behind the number.
The next phase is already taking shape around three tiers: Explorer, Planner, and Concierge.
This is the structure shown in the live TripScale demo. It gives the product a clean ladder from quick affordability checks to much deeper trip reconstruction and booking-ready workflows.
Explorer · $0 / month
Explorer is the free entry tier. It covers a handful of TripScale Estimates each day, a suggested hot spot from the post, a high-level itinerary from the key post details, and saved travel preferences.
Planner · $15 / month
Planner is the first real paid planning tier. It opens up unlimited TripScale Estimates, a checklist-driven suggested itinerary, and a more detailed itinerary shaped around the travel style of the party, whether that means foodie, adventurous, or following the influencer more closely.
Concierge · $25 / month
Concierge is the deepest consumer tier in the current vision. It keeps unlimited estimates, adds deeper post-to-itinerary reconstruction, detects more locations, meals, and activities, and moves toward the most complete booking-ready workflow with partner links.
The pricing ladder is clearer now. The remaining question is when the product is ready to turn it on.
Win the first-estimate use case
The first phase is about sharp positioning and repeated use: can TripScale become the fastest way to size up a trip idea before real planning begins?
Turn on the defined tiers once user intent is proven
Once users trust the estimate and want to keep going, the next phase can activate the Explorer, Planner, and Concierge ladder with much more confidence because the premium value will be tied to real planning depth, not theory.